Every time someone compliments me on the cocktail I've just made for
them, I inform them that I come from a long line of Irish saloon
keepers--I design a mighty fine cocktail.
It's true. My father and his father, who migrated to the U.S. from
County Galway, owned somewhat famous Irish pubs: my grandfather, Joe
Sr., in Jersey City and my dad Joe Jr., in Minneapolis. In fact,
Duff's, one of my father's joints in downtown Minneapolis, was
legendary during its heyday in the '60s and '70s. All of my high school
friends were envious of me and couldn't quite believe it when I set my
sights on becoming an artist rather than a barkeep. Sometimes I wonder
what kind of proprietor I might have made.
One of the main things that kept me from the booze trade was the
ridiculous schedule my father kept when I was growing up. He was there
every day except Sunday, from mid-morning 'til 1a.m., since every
patron expected "the boss" to be part of their chosen bar experience.
It took its toll on him as well as my poor mother, not to mention their
relationship. The other big negative in my young, naïve eyes were the
"clients" he had to serve. I've had my share of characters in the
design biz but they pale in comparison to my father's lot, particularly
when they'd been over-served. I spent a lot of under-aged time at
Duff's and the stories, both clear-eyed and bleary, of what went on
there will stay with me always.
I guess this is all why one of my favorite kinds of design projects is
helping to create a bar/restaurant experience. In fact, add in another
favorite, adult beverages, and you'll see a good amount of the work
we've done over the years falls into these camps. The latest, Cooper, a
true Irish pub just outside of Minneapolis, is a case in point. Our
client, Kieran Folliard
is as charming an Irishman as you'd ever want to meet and he's become a
local legend at transporting the Irish pub experience from "the old
sod" to the relatively conservative middle of America. This is the
fourth unique saloon in the Kieran Collection and it's a truly
authentic physical environment in which to enjoy a Guinness or a
Jameson, thanks to Kieran, his management team and a talented group of
Irish craftsmen from Dublin, at Ol' Irish Pubs Ltd.
Working with clients like Kieran, who are as passionate about their
creations as we are about ours, is one of the joys of being in the
design business. It proves that real collaboration is a critical
component of commercial success. In the end, there's really nothing we
can do in our design efforts that can replace the "person" part of
designing a unique personal experience for the guests. To me, it's also
a reminder to choose your clients wisely. If the product isn't there,
the best packaging in the world is only going expedite impending
failure.
Needless to say, this particular design project takes me back to my
roots and they're roots that keep on extending. My son, Joseph is the
designer and my daughter, Bridget is the project manager on Cooper--and
no, neither of them have had any desire to pick up the previous family
trade. Though they never got to see their grandpa in action down at
Duff's, they're helping to capture the true art of Irish hospitality,
served up in the best possible way, to a new generation of revelers.
And, somewhere up in heaven, the old man's smiling down with tears of
joy in his Irish eyes.
Images
1. Joe Sr. behind the bar at Duffy's. Jersey City, circa 1922.
2. Ashtray & matchbook from Duff's. Minneapolis.
3. Cooper logo and postcard.
4. Cooper business cards.
5. Cooper menus.